Steerable Antenna Device

What is this patent about?

’548 is related to the field of wireless communication devices, particularly those employing multiple frequency bands. The background acknowledges the increasing complexity in designing wireless devices like cellphones and laptops, which require multiple antennas, each optimized for a specific frequency band (e.g., cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi). This leads to mechanical design challenges, increased costs, and difficulties in meeting radiation efficiency standards. Existing solutions, such as broadband planar antennas and active antenna tuning, have limitations in size and simultaneous multi-band operation.

The underlying idea behind ’548 is to enable a single antenna (or a minimal set of antennas) to be used simultaneously by multiple transmitters or receivers operating in different frequency bands. This is achieved through the use of active impedance matching for each frequency band, allowing the antenna to efficiently transmit and receive signals across a wide spectrum. The invention addresses the problem of mechanical complexity and space constraints in multi-band wireless devices by allowing multiple transmitters/receivers to share a single antenna.

The claims of ’548 focus on a wireless device and methods for avoiding radiation towards a user or structure, particularly in the 10 GHz to 500 GHz range. The device uses detectors like cameras, microphones, or capacitive sensors to determine the device's orientation relative to the user or nearby structures. Based on this information, a processor calculates zones or spans of directions to avoid. A steerable antenna then adjusts its radiation pattern to accentuate radiation in directions outside these avoidance zones, directing energy away from the user.

In practice, the invention uses sensors to detect the user's hand position or proximity to the device. This information is then used to adjust the antenna's beamforming, steering the main lobe of the radiation pattern away from the user's body. This can be achieved by deactivating antenna elements covered by the user's hand or by actively steering the beam using phase shifters or other beamforming techniques. The controller dynamically adjusts the antenna's radiation pattern based on real-time sensor data.

The differentiation from prior approaches lies in the combination of multi-band operation with user-aware beam steering. While active antenna tuning and steerable antennas existed before, ’548 integrates these technologies with sensors to create a system that actively avoids radiating energy towards the user. This is particularly relevant for millimeter-wave frequencies, where directional antennas are smaller and beam steering is more practical. By intelligently directing the radiation pattern, the invention aims to improve both the performance and safety of wireless devices.